East African Commission pushes for common development of members, as Sectoral Council adopts the Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Bill

The East African Commission in its move for collective growth and progress of member countries, through the Ministries for education, science, technology, culture and sports, have embraced a proposed budget of about $1.9 million for the initial operationalization of the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO).

The ministers were in Kigali, Rwanda, for the 1st Extraordinary Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports where they adopted the revised draft Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Bill, 2012.

The meeting was chaired by Ababu Namwamba, Kenya’s Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports. During the meeting, the Ministers considered among others, the draft IUCEA Bill that proposes to enact a new Act on the Inter-University Council for East Africa, 2012, and plans to operationalize the East African Science and Technology Commission and East African Kiswahili Commission.

The draft IUCEA Bill passed by ministerial meeting was prepared to remedy anomalies and inconsistencies highlighted in the IUCEA Act (2009) following a comprehensive review of the same.

The Act in question, which the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) enacted in 2009, was meant to effectively mainstream the Inter University Council for East Africa into the EAC but its operationalization has met with a number of challenges because some of its sections do not augur well with the EAC Treaty and the institutional position of IUCEA in the Community.

Another US$ 2,009,041 for the initial operationalization of the East African Kiswahili Commission, for the 2013/14 financial year was also suggested. Rwanda and Tanzania have been selected to host the Science and Technology and Kiswahili Commissions respectively.